The Los Angeles Dodgerspurchased Justin Turner‘s contract and heis on the flight to Australia. This move gave one major hint to his standing with the club. When the team selected his contract, he had to be added to the 40-man roster, which makes him eligible to play for the big league club. Still, it’s not guarantee that he makes the 25-man roster.

The Dodgers do not need to finalize their 25-man roster until later this month, but if there wasn’t a good chance that he’d make the MLBteam, he wouldn’t have been a part of the Dodgers’ travel plans.

With Turner inching closer to a spot on the 25-man roster, it’s easy to see where he’ll fit into the team this season. Turner will not be an everyday starter, but will have plenty of opportunities to play. His role will be a lot like Nick Punto‘s from a year ago; a solid player who will contribute to a number of Dodger wins without being included in the everyday lineup.

There’s still a great chance that Turner becomes more than a platoon player for the Dodgers. Dee Gordon will likely assume the starting second base role to start the season, but his past inconsistencies may come into play this year. If Gordon is unable to put together a solid season, Turner could have the chance to be one of the Dodgers’ saviors this year.

Turner has a bright season ahead of him with the Dodgers. I can’t wait to see how he can contribute to the blue crew in the coming months.

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